In these days, there are systems for delivering contents such as music, video, and images via a network such as the Internet or a cable television.
Methods of delivering contents are roughly classified into a streaming scheme and a downloading scheme. In the streaming scheme, data provided via a network from a content provider server are played back on a user terminal on real time and can be displayed on a display unit or the like. In the downloading scheme, data corresponding to a file are downloaded into a storage unit from a content provider server via a network. The data are played back at any desired timing and can be displayed on a display unit or the like.
For the copyright and/or proper use of the contents, limitations and the like are often imposed on recording of streaming data or moving downloaded data to another information processing terminal.
Examples of the related art include Patent Document 1. Patent Document 1 discloses a content billing system in which a content delivery server, a license management server for information terminals (management server), and a plurality of information processing terminals (user terminals) are connected to each other via a network, the content delivery server has a billing means, and the license management server for information terminals has a license billing means for terminals and a means for changing the copyright management system.
In the aforementioned content billing system, when a user moves (transfers) contents (content data) purchased on a specific information processing terminal to another information processing terminal, proper copyright management and an associated process such as billing are performed through access to the means for changing the copyright management system and the license management server.
Patent Document 1: Japanese laid-open patent publication No. 2006-309326